Rural-mail-carrier&#39;s box.



PATENTED SEPT. 10, 1907. E. F. HUTGHINS & J. J. SALA.

RURAL MAIL CARRIER/S BOX.

APPLIGATION FILED MAY 23, 1906 1H2 NORRIS Fsn'ns ca, wasnumm UNITEDSTATES PATENT OFFICE.

ELMER F. HUTCHINS AND JACOB .l. SALA, OF LOYAL, WISCONSIN.

RURAL-MAIL-CARRIERS BOX.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 10, 1907.

Application filed May 23,1906 Serial No. 818,369.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, ELMER F. l-lUTorirNs and JA- oon J. Slim, citizensof the United States, residing at Loyal, in the county of Clark andState of Wisconsin, have invented a new and usefulRural-ll/lail-Carriers Box, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to a rural mail carrier s box.

The object of the present invention is to provide a simple, inexpensiveand efficient box or case designed particularly for use by rural mailcarriers, but adapted for general use as a file box or case, an dcapable of facilitating and expediting the handling of mail matter.

A further object of the invention is to provide a mail box designed tobe mounted on a suitable support within a buggy, or other vehicle, andadapted to enable mail to be quickly packed and held in a perpendicularposition, and capable of being quickly removed and of being convenientlycarried in the hand, while depositing the mail in the stationary mailboxes along the route.

The invention also has for its object to provide a mail box having anadjustable follower adapted to be readily moved in either direction withone hand, so as to leave the other hand free for placing mail matter inand removing the same from the box.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in theconstruction and novel combination of parts hereinafter fully described,illustrated in the accompanying drawing, and pointed out in the claimshereto appended; it being understood that various changes in the form,proportion, size and minor details of construction, within the scope ofthe claims, may be resorted to without departing from the spirit orsacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

In the drawingz-Figure I is a perspective view of a mail carrier s boxconstructed in accordance with this invention. Fig. 2 is a longitudinalsectional view of the same. Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view on theline 33 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a detail perspective view of the followerand the means for locking the same against backward movement.

Like numerals of reference designate corresponding parts in all thefigures of the drawing.

1 designates a mail box or case open at the top and at one end anddetachably mounted on a base 2, which is provided at intervals withperforations for the reception of screws, or other suitable fasteningdevices for securing the base to a suitable support. The box may beconstructed of any desired size, and in practice a mail wagon or othervehicle will be equipped with a plurality of such boxes. The base isdesigned to be mounted in a buggy, Wagon, or other vehicle, and itprovided with a longitudinal recess 4, which receives a depending bar ormember 5, secured to the lower face of the bottom bar of the box 1 andextending longitudinally of the same. The projecting or dependingportion or member 5 of the bottom is provided at one end with a beveledtongue 7 formed by cutting away the projecting portion or member 5, anddetachably interlocked with a cross piece 8' of the base. The crosspiece 8, which is arranged at the rear end of the base, spans therecess, and is spaced from the bottom thereof to form an opening for thetongue 7, and is provided with an inclined or beveled lower face forengaging the beveled upper face of the said tongue. By this constructionthe rear end of the box is slidably interlocked with the base. Theprojecting portion or member 5 of the bottom of the box is of the samewidth as the recess 4, and fits snugly within the same, as clearly shownin Fig. 3 of the drawing.

The front end of the mail box is detach-ably secured to the base bymeans of a pivoted catch 9, consisting ,of a piece of spring steel, orother resilient-material,

secured at one end to the front end of the base, by means of a screw 10,or other suitable fastening device, and provided adjacent to its otherend with a perforation 11, which is adapted to receive a projection 12.The catch is of a length to extend a short distance above the bottom ofthe box, when it is in engagement with the projection 12, and the upperend 13 of the catch is curved outwardly to form a grip or handle portionto enable it to be readily grasped by the operator. The resilient catchis adapted to be drawn outward to disengage it from the projection 12,and it may then be swung downwardly to a horizontal position to arrangeit out of the way and to also release the mailbox. The mail box may thenbe readily lifted from the base.

The letters and other mail matter are engaged and clamped in aperpendicular position by means of a follower 14, preferably constructedof metal, and extending transversely of the box 1, as clearly shown inFigs. 1 and 2 of the drawing. The follower, which extends entirelyacross the mail box 1, has a flat vertical inner face, and it isprovided at its outer face with a horizontal projecting handle or gripconsisting of a head 15 and a stem 16. The head 15, which is arrangedhorizontally, extends laterally from opposite sides of the stem, whichis preferably cast integral with the follower. By this construction thehandle or grip is adapted to be readily grasped between two of thefingers to enable the thumb to be conveniently used for operating thelocking mechanism, which secures the follower in its adjustment. Thefollower is provided at opposite sides with horizontal slides 17,preferably formed integral and form lower longitudinal recesses 20 forthe reception of pivoted pawls or dogs 21. The pawls or dogs .21 arepivoted by rivets 22, or other suitable fastening devices to thevertical flanges or portions of the slides 17, and the pivots 22 arelocated adjacent to the outer ends of the pawls or dogs 21. The pawls ordogs 21, which are substantially housed within the guides 17, consist oflevers and have short outer arms, which are connected by a transversebar 23. The inner ends of the pawls or dogs are provided with heads orteeth 25 for engaging horizontal ratchet bars 26.

The horizontal ratchet bars 26, which are provided at their upper edgeswith teeth, are mounted in the grooves or ways 18 of the sides 19 of thebox 1. The grooves or ways, which extend from the front of the box tothe rear wall 27, have upper and lower horizontal gliding edges, and thesides are recessed at the bottom of the grooves or ways to providespaces for the horizontal ratchet bars, which are located below thebottom gliding edges of the grooves or ways. 7 The teeth of the ratchetbars are beveled at their outer sides or faces, and are provided attheir inner sides or faces with shoulders arranged to be engaged by theheads of the pivoted pawls or dogs, whereby the follower is lockedagainst backward or outward movement.

The outerarms of the pivoted pawls or dogs are connected to the ends ofthe transverse bar 23 by means of terminal pivots 28, which are mountedon the ends of the bar 23 and which are arranged in suitableperforations of the short outer arms of the pivoted pawls or dogs. Thelong inner arms of the pivoted pawls or dogs are of sufiicient weight tomaintain the heads 25 normally in engagement with the ratchet bars. Theaction of the pivoted pawls or dogs is rendered positive by a coiledspring 29, disposed on a shank 30 of a vertical movable operating device31, which is provided at the upper end of the shank 30 with a suitablehead, adapted to be depressed by the thumb of the mail carrier or otherpersonfor lifting the heads or engaging portions of the pawls or dogsout of engagement with the ratchet bars. The shank 30, which is guidedin an opening of the stem 16 of the handle of the follower, is securedat its lower end to the bar 23 and has a reduced portion, forming ashoulder against which the upper end of the coiled spring 29 abuts. Thelower reduced end of the stem pierces the bar 23, being suitablyfastened in a perforation thereof, as clearly indicated in Fig. 2 of thedrawing. The opening of the stem 16 is enlarged to form a socket for thecoiled spring 29, which rests upon the bottom of the enlarged portion orsocket of the opening of the stem 16. The handle or grip of the followerand the operating device 31 are adapted to be readily grasped betweenthe thumb and fingers of the operator, for enabling the lockingmechanism and the follower to be simultaneously adjusted with one hand,so as to leave the other hand of the operator free for removing thecontents of the box or for placing mail or other matter within the same.

The mail box, which may be constructed of any suitable material, ispreferably reinforced at the front end of the sides'19 by verticalcleats or bars 32, and it is provided at its front with a transverselydisposed handle 33. The handle 33, which is arranged in a horizontalposition, is curved outwardly, and its terminals are connected to theupper ends of the cleats or bars 32,

being preferably cast integral with the same. The cleats or bars 32 aresecured by screws or other suitable fastening devices to the exterior ofthe box. The grooves or ways 18 of the sides 19 of the box may beconveniently formed by slotting the sides, or by constructing the sidesof upper and lower spaced members, the open slots or spaces beingcovered by exteriorly arranged plates 34 in the manner shown. Theseplates cover the slots or openings, and brace the upper and lowersections or members of the sides. The vertical cleats 32 and the handle33 brace the box, and assist in providing a structure of great strengthand durability.

It will be seen that the device is exceedingly simple and inexpensive inconstruction, that it will take up but a small amount of space within avehicle, and that it is easily operated and not liable to get out oforder.

Having thus fully described our invention, what we claim as new anddesire to secure by Letters Patent,

1. In a device of the class described, the combination of a box providedat opposite sides with ratchet bars, a follower slidably connected withthe box and having a grip or handle for adjusting it, locking meansmounted on the follower for engaging the ratchet bars to lock thefollower against outward or backward movement, and means mounted on thehandle or grip of the follower for operating the locking means.

2. In a device of the class described, the combination of a box, afollower slidable on the box and having a grip or handle, locking meansfor securing the follower against backward or outward movement, and anoperating device mounted on the grip or handle of the follower and connected with the said locking means.

3. In a device of the class described, the combination of a box, afollower slidable within the same and having a grip or handle, oppositeratchet bars arranged at the sides of the box, pawls or dogs mounted onthe follower at the opposite side of the box for engaging the ratchetbars, and an operating device mounted on the handle or grip of thefollower and connected with the pawls or dogs.

4. In a device of the class described, the combination of a box providedwith opposite ratchet bars, a follower operating within the box andhaving a grip or handle, pivoted pawls or dogs carried by the followerfor engaging the ratchet bars, a cross bar connecting the pawls or dogs,and an operating device mounted on the grip or handle of the followerand secured to the connecting bar,

5. In a device of the class described, the combination of a box providedat opposite sides with guides, ratchet bars secured to the sides ofthebox, a follower provided with slides operating in the guides, pawlsor dogs pivotally mounted on the slides for engaging the ratchet bars,and means mounted on the follower at a point between the sides of thebox for operating the pawls or dogs.

6. In a device of the class described, the combination of a box providedat opposite sides with guide grooves, ratchet bars mounted in the guidegrooves, a follower provided at opposite sides with horizontal slidesoperating within the grooves, said follower being provided between theslides with a grip or handle, pawls or dogs mounted on the slides andengaging the ratchet bars, and means mounted on the grip or handle ofthe follower for op erating the pawls or dogs.

7. In a device of the class described, the combination of a box providedat opposite sides with guides, ratchet bars mounted on the sides of thebox, a follower provided with slides operating in the guide, said slidesbeing substantially L-shaped in cross section and having longitudinalrecesses,- pawls or dogs mounted in the recesses of the slides andengaging the ratchet bars, and means carried by the follower foroperating the pawls or dogs.

8. In a device of the class described, the combination of a box providedat opposite sides with guides, ratchet bars mounted on the sides of thebox at the said guides a follower provided with slides operating in theguides and extending in advance and in rear of the follower, pawls ordogs extending longitudinally of the slides and arranged within the same101' securing the follower in its adjustment, and means carried by thefollower for operating the pawls or dogs.

9. In a device of the class described, the combination of a box providedat opposite sides with ratchet bars, a follower slidable within the boxand having a grip or handle, pawls or dogs pivotally mounted on thefollower at opposite sides of the box and engaging the ratchet bars, atransverse bar extending entirely across the box and connecting thepawls or dogs, and an operating device having a shank or portion movablymounted on the grip or handle and connected with the transverse bar.

10. In a device of the class described, the combination of a boxprovided at opposite sides with ratchet bars, a follower slidable on thebox and provided with a grip or handle, pawls or dogs pivotally mountedon the follower at opposite sides of the box and engaging the ratchetbars, a transverse bar located beneath the grip or handle and connectedto the pawls or dogs, an operating device having a shank or portionpiercing the grip or handle of the follower and connected with thetransverse bar, and a spring housed within the grip or handle of thefollowerand engaging the operating device for holding the pawls or dogsin engagement with the ratchet bars.

11. In a device of the class described, the combination of a boxprovided at opposite sides with guides, ratchet bars mounted on thesides of the box, a follower provided at an intermediate point with ahandle or grip and having slides at its ends operating in the guides ofthe box, pawls or dogs pivoted at an intermediate point to the slides toform inner and outer arms, the inner arms being provided with means forengaging the ratchet bars, a cross bar connecting the outer arms of thepawls or dogs and located beneath the grip or handle, and an operatingdevice mounted on the grip or handle and connected with the cross barfor operating the pawls or dogs.

In testimony, that we claim the foregoing as our own, we have heretoaflixed our signature in the presence of two witnesses.

ELMER F. I-IUTCHINS. JACOB .T. SALA.

Witnesses NICK Kmssnn, II. Hasnn'r'r.

